PAP sends best bets to world junior powerlifting

MANILA, Philippines - Only potential medal winners comprised the lean but mean four-man Philippine team bound for the 2015 World Junior &Sub-Junior Powerlifting Championship in Prague, Czech Republic.

Regie Ramirez, Jasmine Martin, Joan Masangkay, and Jeremy Reign Bautista were tapped by the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines for the Aug. 31 to Sept. 5 meet after all four won gold medals in last month’s Asian Powerlifting Championship in Hong Kong.

“We want to make sure that all are potential winners. We want that our athletes are all deserving,” said powerlifting association president Eddie Torres in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate.

A total of 223 athletes are seeing action in the two-category event divided into Sub-Junior (14-18-years-old) and Junior (19-23-years-old).

Ramirez (men’s 59 kg) and Martin (women’s 47 kg) will compete in the Juniors category while Bautista (women’s 47 kg) and Masangkay (women’s 43 kg) are seeing action in the Sub-Juniors side.

Both Bautista and Masangkay, who were also present in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. along with chef de mission Aspi Calagopi, are seeing action in the world meet for the very first time.

Martin and Ramirez are competing in the same world championships for the second straight year having won four silvers and three bronze medals among themselves in last year’s edition of the tournament.

The team headed by head coach Betina Bordeos will be leaving for Prague on Friday.

“Our four athletes are very well conditioned because they competed in the Asian Powerlifting just one month ago. We’re very, very confident about this,” said Calagopi of the team’s coming campaign.

“We have a very good team going there.”